What are the symptoms of vestibular disorders?

Vestibular disorders are disorders related to balance, originating from the 8th nerve and its connecting pathways. Depending on the location of the damage, the disease is divided into central vestibular disorders due to damage in the brain and peripheral vestibular disorders due to damage in the ear.

Symptoms of peripheral vestibular disorders include transient bouts of dizziness, appearing when changing positions or losing balance. Patients may feel things spinning, have hearing loss, vomit, dizziness, headaches…

Central vestibular disorders have symptoms including loss of balance that is more severe and lasting than peripheral vestibular disorders, mild nausea, difficulty speaking, and possible weakness of the limbs. Instead of feeling spinning like a peripheral vestibular disorder, the patient often becomes disoriented and has nystagmus.

If you have symptoms of suspected vestibular disorder, you should see an ENT doctor because the vestibule is located deep in the inner ear. The doctor conducts a clinical examination and may order to measure vestibular function using dynamic tonogram (VNG) technology using artificial intelligence (AI). From there, the doctor evaluates the damage in the brain or ear, accurately diagnoses central or peripheral vestibular disorders, the severity of the disease and has appropriate treatment.

If you have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (ectopic atrial vertigo), which is a form of peripheral vestibular disorder, an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor will treat you accordingly. Patients are also given otolith repositioning tests with the support of doctors and a vestibular rehabilitation exercise system.

In case you have central vestibular disorders or other peripheral vestibular disorders, a Neurologist will treat you. The doctor may prescribe some additional paraclinical tests, vestibular function measurements, ear function measurements, ear CT scans, brain MRI scans… to help detect lesions.

Patients with vestibular disorders who are being treated need to follow the doctor’s regimen and should not quit arbitrarily. Improper treatment of vestibular disorders and the wrong cause can make the disease worse, causing many dangerous complications.